600 Ship Navy

As the 1990s ended, Newport News Shipbuilding made more and more of its money from ship-repair jobs and other fleet services, and less from building ships. The trend is likely to continue well into the new century. The yard, the nation's only builder of aircraft carriers, still depends on revenues from new ship construction, but nowhere near as much as a decade ago, when the nation sported a 600-ship Navy. The yard's total revenues through nine months were nearly identical in 1998 and 1999 -Eabout $1.325 billion in the first three quarters of each year.

As the 1990s ended, Newport News Shipbuilding made more and more of its money from ship-repair jobs and other fleet services, and less from building ships. The trend is likely to continue well into the new century. The yard, the nation's only builder of aircraft carriers, still depends on revenues from new ship construction, but nowhere near as much as a decade ago, when the nation sported a 600-ship Navy. The yard's total revenues through nine months were nearly identical in 1998 and 1999 -Eabout $1.325 billion in the first three quarters of each year.

Since its inception in the 1980s, the Navy's plan to expand the number of home ports has been propelled more by political greed than military need. Now even Sen. John Warner, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, realizes that fact, and he plans to ask for a review of the strategy. Warner cast the deciding vote in 1986 that allowed the Navy to push ahead with the costly and controversial plan to build more home ports for its ships in places like New York, Mississippi and Texas.

Having arrived six years ago on a high tide of patriotism and defense spending, the twice-rejuvenated USS Iowa left the Navy again Friday, on a stormy sea. Rain and winds gusting up to 60 mph at Norfolk Naval Station sent folding chairs and a tent on Pier 12 crashing overnight and drove the decommissioning ceremony inside the battleship's armored walls. As the Navy officials formally decommissioned the ship on the bridge, the guests gathered below in the wardroom and mess decks where Iowa officers and sailors once took their daily meals.

Former U.S. Sen. Paul S. Trible Jr. came back to his old power base this morning to officially launch his campaign for governor. The one-time 1st District congressman, who gave up his Senate seat last year to try to bring the governor's mansion in Richmond back into Republican hands, told a cheering crowd of supporters: "We will govern wisely and energetically. We will tackle tough problems - make hard decisions. Working together, we will lead." With the breakfast announcement Trible began a three-day drive across the state to meet supporters and attempt to get an edge on his party opponents - former Attorney General Marshall Coleman; Rep. Stan Parris, R-8th; and Del. Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. of Front Royal.

A tale of two shipyards that John F. Lehman Jr. has declared a "great success story" may soon have a new, less lustrous chapter. In his newest book, "Command of the Seas," Lehman _ also known as the former secretry of the Navy - takes great pride in telling how he reformed the shipbuilding industry en route to building a 600-ship Navy. More interesting are the revelations the book offers in the back-door dealings between the Navy and General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division, which locked Newport News Shipbuilding out of successfully bidding on a series of Los Angeles class submarines and even Trident boats.

Having arrived six years ago on a high tide of patriotism and defense spending, the twice-rejuvenated USS Iowa left the Navy again Friday, on a stormy sea. Rain and winds gusting up to 60 mph at Norfolk Naval Station sent folding chairs and a tent on Pier 12 crashing overnight and drove the decommissioning ceremony inside the battleship's armored walls. As the Navy officials formally decommissioned the ship on the bridge, the guests gathered below in the wardroom and mess decks where Iowa officers and sailors once took their daily meals.

True to his low-key reputation as Army secretary, John O. Marsh Jr. bid farewell to the troops Thursday in a quiet meeting at Fort Monroe. Marsh's talk, to a group of senior noncommissioned officers, was not open to the press or public, said Maj. Tim McKeever, a spokesman for the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. A more public ceremony had been planned by Gen. Maxwell Thurman, chief of the training command, but it was canceled because of the cold weather, said Lt. Col. Barry Sprouse, a spokesman for Marsh.

By MOLLY MOORE and GEORGE C. WILSON The Washington Post | November 28, 1989

The U.S. armed services have drafted plans to reduce military personnel by more than 250,000 men and women and eliminate three active-duty Army divisions, five Air Force fighter wings and 62 Navy ships by 1994 to meet Defense Dick Cheney's demands for deep budget cuts, according to Pentagon officials. The proposed reductions would change dramatically the nation's armed forces and would force major shifts in U.S. military strategy and the global deployment of its personnel, ships and aircraft, Defense Department officials said.

It could take $1 billion before the Navy gets six new home ports up and running, far more than the $799 million spending cap approved by Congress, a General Accounting Office official told a House panel Tuesday. The Navy estimates it would lose $375 million by abandoning the plan, but should study whether it would be more cost-efficient to just improve existing bases, said Martin M. Ferber of the General Accounting Office, Congress' non-partisan auditing agency. He said the $375 million represents the amount of money already spent on construction at the new home ports and the cost of paying off existing contracts for those projects.

It could take $1 billion before the Navy gets six new home ports up and running, far more than the $799 million spending cap approved by Congress, a General Accounting Office official told a House panel Tuesday. The Navy estimates it would lose $375 million by abandoning the plan, but should study whether it would be more cost-efficient to just improve existing bases, said Martin M. Ferber of the General Accounting Office, Congress' non-partisan auditing agency. He said the $375 million represents the amount of money already spent on construction at the new home ports and the cost of paying off existing contracts for those projects.

Since its inception in the 1980s, the Navy's plan to expand the number of home ports has been propelled more by political greed than military need. Now even Sen. John Warner, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, realizes that fact, and he plans to ask for a review of the strategy. Warner cast the deciding vote in 1986 that allowed the Navy to push ahead with the costly and controversial plan to build more home ports for its ships in places like New York, Mississippi and Texas.

The Navy's plan to decommission two of its four battleships should prompt a reconsideration of the service's plans to open new homeports, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Thursday. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., confirmed Thursday night that the Navy plans to drop the USS Iowa and the USS New Jersey from the fiscal year 1991 budget. As a result, he said, he plans to write Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney and Navy Secretary H. Laurence Garrett III today and urge that the Navy's plans for opening new ports be re-examined.

By MOLLY MOORE and GEORGE C. WILSON The Washington Post | November 28, 1989

The U.S. armed services have drafted plans to reduce military personnel by more than 250,000 men and women and eliminate three active-duty Army divisions, five Air Force fighter wings and 62 Navy ships by 1994 to meet Defense Dick Cheney's demands for deep budget cuts, according to Pentagon officials. The proposed reductions would change dramatically the nation's armed forces and would force major shifts in U.S. military strategy and the global deployment of its personnel, ships and aircraft, Defense Department officials said.

True to his low-key reputation as Army secretary, John O. Marsh Jr. bid farewell to the troops Thursday in a quiet meeting at Fort Monroe. Marsh's talk, to a group of senior noncommissioned officers, was not open to the press or public, said Maj. Tim McKeever, a spokesman for the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. A more public ceremony had been planned by Gen. Maxwell Thurman, chief of the training command, but it was canceled because of the cold weather, said Lt. Col. Barry Sprouse, a spokesman for Marsh.

A tale of two shipyards that John F. Lehman Jr. has declared a "great success story" may soon have a new, less lustrous chapter. In his newest book, "Command of the Seas," Lehman _ also known as the former secretry of the Navy - takes great pride in telling how he reformed the shipbuilding industry en route to building a 600-ship Navy. More interesting are the revelations the book offers in the back-door dealings between the Navy and General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division, which locked Newport News Shipbuilding out of successfully bidding on a series of Los Angeles class submarines and even Trident boats.

Quickly now, what sector of our local economy employs the most people? The government? Good guess. The public sector is a major employer on the Peninsula, with about 25,000 state employees at institutions like Eastern State Hospital and the College of William and Mary, plus about 33,350 federal workers at installations including Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base. But you're wrong. The government surrendered its title as the top Peninsula employer in 1983, and as the largest employer in the Hampton Roads region in 1987.

The Navy's plan to decommission two of its four battleships should prompt a reconsideration of the service's plans to open new homeports, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Thursday. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., confirmed Thursday night that the Navy plans to drop the USS Iowa and the USS New Jersey from the fiscal year 1991 budget. As a result, he said, he plans to write Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney and Navy Secretary H. Laurence Garrett III today and urge that the Navy's plans for opening new ports be re-examined.

Quickly now, what sector of our local economy employs the most people? The government? Good guess. The public sector is a major employer on the Peninsula, with about 25,000 state employees at institutions like Eastern State Hospital and the College of William and Mary, plus about 33,350 federal workers at installations including Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base. But you're wrong. The government surrendered its title as the top Peninsula employer in 1983, and as the largest employer in the Hampton Roads region in 1987.

Former U.S. Sen. Paul S. Trible Jr. came back to his old power base this morning to officially launch his campaign for governor. The one-time 1st District congressman, who gave up his Senate seat last year to try to bring the governor's mansion in Richmond back into Republican hands, told a cheering crowd of supporters: "We will govern wisely and energetically. We will tackle tough problems - make hard decisions. Working together, we will lead." With the breakfast announcement Trible began a three-day drive across the state to meet supporters and attempt to get an edge on his party opponents - former Attorney General Marshall Coleman; Rep. Stan Parris, R-8th; and Del. Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. of Front Royal.